The present invention is directed to a programming and diagnostic device for servicing vehicles, and in particular to such a device with an integrated battery charger.
Modern vehicles are equipped with engine control units (“ECUs”) that operate in connection with various computer control modules that are involved in electronic control and/or monitoring of various vehicle functions, with these control modules also being referred to simply as “modules”. Occasionally these modules must be reprogrammed, including after the vehicle has been produced and been in service. Reprogramming of vehicle control modules is referred to as “reflashing” and is performed via a data link connector (“DLC”) of the vehicle that is connected and accessible via an onboard diagnostic (“OBD”) port of the vehicle, such as may be located under the dashboard. Reflashing is typically performed when a vehicle is not running. If power to the ECUs is lost, or drops below a certain level, the ECU will stop accepting commands during the reflashing process, in which case the reflashing will be unsuccessful, and in some instances can be detrimental to the operation of the ECU.